Christian Zionism and the Scofield Reference Bible: A Critical evaluation of Dispensational Theology

by David Lance Dean

The author has purposed in the writing of Christian Zionism and the Scofield Reference Bible to provide an objective analysis of the multiple doctrinal as well as prophetic issues raised in the extensive notes and commentaries included with the scripture text of the various and changing printings of the Scofield Reference Bible. Through an objective examination of this work of Cyrus Scofield and his editorial committee, many obvious conflicts and contradictions are revealed when compared with what the scriptures actually say. Problems become more apparent when you realize that several revisions have been made over a century with most of those coming after Scofield's death. The copyright belonged to Oxford University Press, and yet they continued to show Cyrus Scofield as editor many years after his death. Dispensational theology has received a very broad acceptance among conservative and evangelical Christians. Yet when honestly scrutinized, we find that many tenets of doctrine, as well as prophesy presented, are in contradiction to what the scriptures clearly teach. An examination of the book will provide the reader with ample evidence that what has been asserted here is in fact true.

166 pages, Paperback

First published May 11, 2015

Reviews

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 2 out of 5]

WARNING: Mental Overload!!!



Maybe it's because I'm not religious or maybe the fact that I tend to keep my distance from anything remotely religious. When you come from a family that is divided by Protestant and Catholic with a few minor religions such as Native American Shamanism and Wiccan/Pegans, I chose to live my life free of anything that relates to religion (especially when your family is usually always at each other's throats due to religious views).

Now I'm not saying that I didn't like this book. This book just didn't make much sense to me or really appeal to me, for that matter. This book is very well written and very informative, but I just couldn't get into this book.

Do you know that feeling when your family drags you off to church and you feel like your drowning in an overwhelming amount of information? Or better perhaps, when you have religious friends/family who are so religious and shove their religious views down your throat so often you feel like you're just going to snap? Yeah...that's what this felt like to me.



The book states a lot of good points and really puts things into view for anyone who reads this book, but I just have no idea what is going on in this book. I'd have to recommend someone with a better religious understanding to read this book because I certainly feel like an awkward turtle now.

All in all, I'm an awkward turtle lost at sea because this book had me lost in a whirlwind of confusion and information overload. It's a good book packed with lots of information, but this book isn't for me which is why it's rated so low.

[J Earl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christian Zionism and the Scofield Reference Bible by David Lance Dean is a mixed bag for most readers. Part critique of dispensational theology and the Scofield Bible and part conspiracy theory (as he himself offers as one way to state it) about the "Zionist agenda" and how everything, according to Dean, is owned and controlled by Zionist Jews.

I am no theological scholar but I did find a large portion of the first part of the book interesting as Dean presents a case for the inaccuracies of the Scofield Reference Bible. Since I am not inclined toward believing in worldwide conspiracy theories dating back centuries, or at least a century and a half, I found the book to spiral into unsubstantiated supposition and shaky, at best, connections between people and events.

I am one of those people who have a hard time believing everything any government says, so I am not simply someone who blindly follows what I am instructed to do. I do, however, stop short of claiming that every wrong in the world (from my perspective) is the result of an active, massive and coordinated conspiracy. If you believe such a conspiracy is possible or even likely you will likely enjoy this book. Dean does not speak in tones of possibilities when it comes to his conspiracy theories, he speaks in absolutes, presidents are murderers and the very departments of the government are not, in fact, part of the government. The Fed Reserve is one he (accidentally) got right but how he got it right is so amazingly paranoid that the factual part of his claim is hidden.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads first reads

Note: It took so long to read
the book because of an ongoing Family Health Emergency

I recommend this book only for anyone who has at least a small amount of knowledge of end times theology. Otherwise one may not understand what the author has set forth. I myself have studied the theologies of dispensationalism, preterism, partial preterism, etc to see which one is biblical. Though I don't agree with all the points and ideas the author puts forth the book does make many good points about the way we interpret biblical passages and their meanings for the end times. The book is a good study tool for anyone looking to find information on end-time Theology and to either use the book to dispute what the author put forth or to agree with it.